If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

I hope and pray that the right man has been caught by the police. However, I have some reservations about the whole thing so far...

1. The police revealed a 'black, double pocketed' jacket as evidence that this is what the person who abducted Zainab was wearing according to CCTV images.

-This I feel is highly debatable. The CCTV images show the colour of Zainab's clothes and they matched the dress her body was found it. Hence the images would also suggest that the colour of the abductor's jacket was not black regardless of what colour was being picked up on the CCTV. It was either a light or dark brown colour.
-The other issue in this regard is that this killer would not be stupid to still keep a hold of anything at his home that could ever trace him to the murder. How was he stupid enough to not get rid of it?
-How did the police reach the conclusion that the killer wore a double pocketed jacket, especially when the double pocket or even one pocket cannot be visualised in the cctv images?

2. Considering the magnitude of the manhunt, the media attention and the CCTV images, It is surprising to think that the killer remained in Kasur and near the home of the Girl and he actively participated in the protests. Many experts would have assumed that such a person may well have fled Pakistan or gone into hiding outside of the city. Yet this man chose to remain close to the crime scene.

"The Indian bowling attack is as devastating as the Teletubbies"- Sir Ian Botham

I hope and pray that the right man has been caught by the police. However, I have some reservations about the whole thing so far...

1. The police revealed a 'black, double pocketed' jacket as evidence that this is what the person who abducted Zainab was wearing according to CCTV images.

-This I feel is highly debatable. The CCTV images show the colour of Zainab's clothes and they matched the dress her body was found it. Hence the images would also suggest that the colour of the abductor's jacket was not black regardless of what colour was being picked up on the CCTV. It was either a light or dark brown colour.
-The other issue in this regard is that this killer would not be stupid to still keep a hold of anything at his home that could ever trace him to the murder. How was he stupid enough to not get rid of it?
-How did the police reach the conclusion that the killer wore a double pocketed jacket, especially when the double pocket or even one pocket cannot be visualised in the cctv images?

2. Considering the magnitude of the manhunt, the media attention and the CCTV images, It is surprising to think that the killer remained in Kasur and near the home of the Girl and he actively participated in the protests. Many experts would have assumed that such a person may well have fled Pakistan or gone into hiding outside of the city. Yet this man chose to remain close to the crime scene.

Your first point is valid. Second not so much, he was arrested from PakPattan which is near Kasur.... He has patronage from some high place. Today a couple of talk shows were discussing how in the first round of DNA scanning he was declared innocent but it was found that his DNA test had been manipulated.... And a second test was conducted upon which he was found to be the culprit.

Bigger issue is, in some of the other cases where he was found to be involved the wonderful Punjab police had already killed the 'perpretrators' who we now know were innocent

KASUR: The father of eight-year-old Zainab who was murdered after rape has claimed that actually he and his relatives had nabbed the suspected serial killer and handed him over to police, while investigators had failed to trace Imran.

Muhammad Amin made the claim at a press conference on Thursday in Road Kot locality, flanked by a lawyer, Aftab Ahmed Bajwa.

To substantiate his claim, Mr Amin referred to the picture showing the suspect sitting on a cot, claiming it was taken at the house of his (Amin’s) brother after “we seized him (Imran) and handed him over to police”.

“We had been insisting that Imran is the culprit since Jan 5, the day Zainab went missing, but police ignored us,” Mr Amin told journalists.

He said before the press conference of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore, law minister Rana Sanaullah had asked him (Amin) not to demand anything else except justice.

Mr Amin said he and his relatives got Imran picked twice but police released him on both occasions.

“Later, we had to ask Punjab police inspector general (IG) and the Joint Investigation Team head for the arrest of the suspect and then we nabbed him and handed him over to police,” the victim’s father claimed.

He also said the CCTV footage that showed the culprit was also obtained by Zainab’s relatives.

Lawyer Aftab Bajwa deplored that Rs10 million reward announced by the chief minister for the arrest of the culprit was being given to the JIT members, whereas it was actually the bereaved family who got the suspect arrested.

He said Mr Amin wanted to present his demands in the CM’s press conference but his mics were switched off.

Earlier in the day, Mr Amin presented his 11 demands at another press conference on behalf of ‘Action Committee For Zainab And Other Victims of Kasur’.

He demanded if the government had extended any kind of financial help to the family of Zainab or if the family had sought anything except justice, it must be made public.

It was demanded that the JIT report be made public.

Besides seeking a fair trial and public hanging of the culprit, he also demanded justice for other victims, naming of some university or children park after Zainab, appointment of honest and professional police officers in the district and concrete steps to check such incidents in future.

He said local parliamentarians be asked to provide “immediate relief” to all the victims’ families “to avoid any law and order situation in future.

Mr Amin threatened to stage a protest demonstration on Friday (today) if other suspects in the police custody were not released. He added that he would not join the investigations into the incident till the other suspects in custody were not released.

Police, after the arrest of Imran, had also picked four other suspects, including Qari Sohail Ahmed, for being alleged facilitators of the main culprit.

Meanwhile, Kasur DPO spokesperson Muhammad Sajid, told the local media through Whatsapp there was no other suspect in the police custody. In a late night development, the police released Qari Sohail Ahmad, who later told some reporters that during detention the police examined his mobile phone data and call record and grilled him about his links with the suspect.

He hasn't truly been right in the mind has he since the entire incident unfolded? I wonder how he feels now knowing he slaughtered the integrity of the Ahmadi officer for a Muslim person to head the procedings, and the Killer being a hard core Islamisist

LAHORE: The bank accounts that were alleged to belong to the accused in Zainab rape and murder case do not exist, said the State Bank of Pakistan.

The central bank said it found no such bank accounts that were maintained by Imran Ali, the accused in Zainab murder case. The bank handed the record to Federal Investigation Agency that appointed an officer of banking circle to probe the accounts.

The FIA took stock of the details provided by the central bank and confirmed that Imran Ali has no bank accounts under his name. The sources privy to the Punjab government told Samaa that it was mulling taking legal action against the television anchorperson, who churned out the claims regarding bank accounts, after the final reports are received.

Punjab government announced on its Twitter handle that Dr. Shahid Masood did not appear before the JIT to share the proofs regarding his claims on bank accounts of Zainab's murderer. The Tweet said the television anchorperson's contacts numbers were unreachable.
Earlier the reports of these alleged accounts surfaced on social media that widely quoted a famous television anchorperson who claimed Imran Ali has over 30 to 40 bank accounts mostly the foreign. He also accused Imran Ali to be part to an international child sex racket.

Taking notice of the reports of his claims, the Punjab government set up a joint investigation committee to launch an inquiry into alleged foreign accounts of Imran Ali accused of raping and killing seven-year-old Zainab Ansari and seven other young girls in Kasur.

Appearing before the Supreme Court, the TV anchor Dr Shahid Masood said the suspect had 37 local and foreign currency accounts and that he was a member of international racket.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar directed Punjab Advocate General to order an inquiry into Dr Shahid Masood’s claim.

“The Punjab Government has ordered an inquiry in order to ascertain as to how many alleged bank accounts did the suspect Imran Ali had in his name,” a notification said.

The apex court instructed the government official to present a report on it by Monday.

The bench earlier stated that when in police custody, IG Punjab was responsible for the security of suspect Imran Ali whereas during judicial custody, Punjab IG Prisons was responsible for his security.

The bench stated that if the suspect was harmed, then action would be taken against the respective Inspector-General.

“We will go to the depth of the matter to know about its truth,” remarked Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar.

LAHORE: The bank accounts that were alleged to belong to the accused in Zainab rape and murder case do not exist, said the State Bank of Pakistan.

The central bank said it found no such bank accounts that were maintained by Imran Ali, the accused in Zainab murder case. The bank handed the record to Federal Investigation Agency that appointed an officer of banking circle to probe the accounts.

The FIA took stock of the details provided by the central bank and confirmed that Imran Ali has no bank accounts under his name. The sources privy to the Punjab government told Samaa that it was mulling taking legal action against the television anchorperson, who churned out the claims regarding bank accounts, after the final reports are received.

Punjab government announced on its Twitter handle that Dr. Shahid Masood did not appear before the JIT to share the proofs regarding his claims on bank accounts of Zainab's murderer. The Tweet said the television anchorperson's contacts numbers were unreachable.
Earlier the reports of these alleged accounts surfaced on social media that widely quoted a famous television anchorperson who claimed Imran Ali has over 30 to 40 bank accounts mostly the foreign. He also accused Imran Ali to be part to an international child sex racket.

Taking notice of the reports of his claims, the Punjab government set up a joint investigation committee to launch an inquiry into alleged foreign accounts of Imran Ali accused of raping and killing seven-year-old Zainab Ansari and seven other young girls in Kasur.

Appearing before the Supreme Court, the TV anchor Dr Shahid Masood said the suspect had 37 local and foreign currency accounts and that he was a member of international racket.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar directed Punjab Advocate General to order an inquiry into Dr Shahid Masood’s claim.

“The Punjab Government has ordered an inquiry in order to ascertain as to how many alleged bank accounts did the suspect Imran Ali had in his name,” a notification said.

The apex court instructed the government official to present a report on it by Monday.

The bench earlier stated that when in police custody, IG Punjab was responsible for the security of suspect Imran Ali whereas during judicial custody, Punjab IG Prisons was responsible for his security.

The bench stated that if the suspect was harmed, then action would be taken against the respective Inspector-General.

“We will go to the depth of the matter to know about its truth,” remarked Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar.

I am not a fan of shahid masood.
but one thing is for sure. the incident took place 2 yrs ago in kasur is linked to this one. which means thre is mafia working with the cover/backing of some of punjab police officials and some Noonay ministers sitting in govt.
now if anyone going to point fingers at Chu SS govt thn Noonay will call him ****** or psycho and what not.

The Doc may have been wrong on the bank accounts but the fact that 100's have been raped in Kasur almost certainly suggests that there is a pedo ring in Kasur and that needs investigation.

If the doctor is not lying about DNA results, the suspect could be part of the ring. They should be able to catch more people through him. He must have some connections, how else did he get away for so long? Maybe the Police is simply incompetent but they even killed innocent people to prove that they solved the previous cases of child abuse and indirectly helped him get away.

It is already becoming quite apparent that the CM at the press conference giving details of the arrests was lying. All this nonsense about 11500 men being DNA tested etc was a lie, Punjab police is not capable of doing all these tests and comparisons. The father of Zainab has confirmed that they had identified the killer who had been released twice before. It is shameful how low PMLN ministers can get to hide their incompetence and corruption. If Zainab was their daughter they would arrests half the city to find the killers. When it is a poor man's daughter they do not care and think that giving few laks would solve the problem. I hope all those in authority would search their conscious and admit their failures.
COPIED @Bewal Express.

It is already becoming quite apparent that the CM at the press conference giving details of the arrests was lying. All this nonsense about 11500 men being DNA tested etc was a lie, Punjab police is not capable of doing all these tests and comparisons. The father of Zainab has confirmed that they had identified the killer who had been released twice before. It is shameful how low PMLN ministers can get to hide their incompetence and corruption. If Zainab was their daughter they would arrests half the city to find the killers. When it is a poor man's daughter they do not care and think that giving few laks would solve the problem. I hope all those in authority would search their conscious and admit their failures.
COPIED @Bewal Express.

Totally agree but when did the Nooras have any scruples? They have no conscious or nor do they fear Allah. Money is their only God.

The antics of the father have been disgusting. First more concerned about the religious affiliation of the investigative officer and then putting claim to the 10 million reward money. Feel bad for poor Zainab that she was spawned from his seed.

The antics of the father have been disgusting. First more concerned about the religious affiliation of the investigative officer and then putting claim to the 10 million reward money. Feel bad for poor Zainab that she was spawned from his seed.

I'm not saying this because I am Ahmadi, I just became so annoyed with his constant appearances on TV demanding this and that. Honestly speaking, I have a daughter...the last thing I would do is make public appearences, I would take the matter into my own hands and find the culprit myself and not rest until I do

Television anchor Dr Shahid Masood and high-ranking police officials arrived at the Supreme Court's Lahore Registry on Sunday morning for a hearing into the rape and murder case of six-year-old Zainab, whose bruised body was found lying in a trash heap on January 9.

Television anchor Shahid Masood arrives at SC's Lahore registry ahead of a suo motu hearing into the Zainab murder case.─DawnNews
Television anchor Shahid Masood arrives at SC's Lahore registry ahead of a suo motu hearing into the Zainab murder case.─DawnNews
Zainab's parents also arrived at the SC shortly before a three-member bench of the apex court, headed by the chief justice, began the hearing. Punjab Inspector General of Police Arif Nawaz Khan, head of the joint investigation team probing Zainab's murder, Additional IG Abu Bakar Khuda Bakhsh, and chief secretary of Punjab, Khizer Hayat, are also present in the court.

Dr Shahid Masood was summoned by the court at the last hearing after he had claimed, in a late night show, that Zainab's suspected rapist and murderer was a member of a pornography gang which also includes a Punjab minister. During the last hearing of the case, Masood had also told the court that the suspect has 37 foreign accounts.

His claims about the bank accounts, however, were denied by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) set up to investigate the Zainab case.

The court has also summoned 12 media executives and anchors to appear for today's hearing. Although the court notice does not say why they were called in, legal observers believe that the invitation has something to do with the claims made recently by Masood.

Shortly after Zainab's autopsy confirmed that she had been strangled to death, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had taken suo motu notice of the incident that had sent shock waves throughout the nation.

A new JIT to be formed under the auspices of the CJP. Lets see if the Doc has something or not. If he hasnt his credibility is shot and he needs to be sacked and go down. If the JIT find that a pedo ring was indeed involved in Kasur, then Rana the Qatil and SHOWBIZ both need to go down and hanged.

The Supreme Court on Sunday formed a new joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the claims made by television anchor Dr Shahid Masood about the suspect in Zainab Amin's rape and murder case.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar gave the order for the JIT while presiding over the three-member apex bench conducting a suo motu hearing into the Zainab case at the SC's Lahore registry.

The chief justice ordered Masood, who was present in court, to appear before the newly formed JIT — which will be led by director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Bashir Ahmed — and present evidence to back his claims.

The anchorperson had claimed during a late night show that Zainab's suspected rapist and murderer was a member of a pornography gang, which also includes a Punjab minister. During the previous hearing of the case, Masood had also told the court that the suspect has 37 foreign accounts.

His claims about the bank accounts, however, were rejected by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in its report to the JIT that was formed earlier by the Punjab government to probe the rape and murder of Zainab.

"Do not talk about unrelated matters; give us proof of the bank accounts," the chief justice told the anchor on Sunday. "If the statements you have made turn out to be true, we will give you the medal for number one journalist."

"If your news turns out to be untrue, [then] you cannot even imagine what will happen," the chief justice warned.

During the hearing, Masood requested time from the court to allow him to complete what he wished to say regarding the case. He went on to claim that Zainab was gang raped, adding that only one criminal had been arrested.

"They are trying to protect the gang that they have nurtured," he added.

"Are you aware that these allegations can change the direction of the investigations?" the chief justice asked the anchor.

The court told the anchor that they could order his name to be put on the Exit Control List, saying that he would have to appear before the JIT formed by the court.

The chief justice clarified that the Bashir Ahmed-led JIT would operate separately from the one formed earlier by the Punjab government.

"The Mohammad Idrees-led JIT will only investigate the murder case," the chief justice said, adding that the new JIT would focus on Masood's allegations.

The court ordered that investigations into the case should be completed as soon as possible and a challan should be filed. Prosecutor General Punjab Ehtisham Qadir was asked to oversee the filing of the challan.

Zainab's father barred from addressing media
During the hearing, the court barred Muhammad Amin ─ the father of six-year-old Zainab ─ and his lawyer from holding further press conferences.

Zainab's parents had arrived at the SC shortly before the bench began the hearing.

Welling-up, Amin told the court that the suspect should be severely punished so that no such crime is committed ever again. The chief justice asked him to have a seat before turning to Dr Muhammad Ashraf Tahir, director general of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), and ordering the use of modern technology and devices to quickly compelete investigations.

"You are a capable person and I am depending on you quite a lot," the chief justice told Tahir. Chief Justice Nisar added that his personal number will be provided to the DG so that the latter may contact him in case of any problems with the probe.

"If there is any problem, please inform me, as well," Zainab's father said.

Punjab Inspector General of Police Arif Nawaz Khan, head of the joint investigation team probing Zainab's murder, Additional IG Abu Bakar Khuda Bakhsh, and chief secretary of Punjab, Khizer Hayat, were also present in the court for today's hearing.

Media figures appear in court
The court, on Saturday, had summoned 12 media executives and anchors to appear for today's hearing.

Appearing before the bench, Zia Shahid of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors said that if neutral investigations are conducted, the truth behind Masood's allegations can be unveiled. He noted that several incidents of child pornography have been reported.

When asked by the chief justice about his opinion regarding the formation of a JIT by the court, Shahid said "an independent JIT should be formed".

Arif Nizami, former editor of The Nation and founder of Pakistan Today, told the court that if Masood's allegations are not true, the statements he made regarding the case would be "equivalent to the death of journalism".

Anchorperson Hamid Mir, however, stated that if Masood's allegations are proven to be incorrect, he should be allowed to seek forgiveness.

"Journalists make mistakes. He should be given the right to forgiveness," Mir said in court, later tweeting that Masood "missed his chance to admit mistake and apologise".

Shortly after Zainab's autopsy confirmed that she had been strangled to death, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had taken suo motu notice of the incident that had sent shock waves throughout the nation.

The Punjab government, in a press conference on Tuesday, had announced catching the alleged rapist and murderer. The suspect, based in Kasur, is accused of being a serial rapist and killer who has been linked to the assault and murder of more than at least six young girls.

The new JIT should look into the allegations made in 2014/15 about the Pedo gangs making child porn vids in Kasur. Its a great chance to get to the bottom of these heinous crimes going back over many years.

Its interesting that the Doctor is getting a lot of vitriol from Nooras but Showbiz is getting none for blatantly lying about the number of DNA tests conducted. If the Doc has made up stuff on the bank accounts he needs to face the music but if his allegations have a grain of truth then the Punjab Police and the Nooras have alot more to answer for.

Its interesting that the Doctor is getting a lot of vitriol from Nooras but Showbiz is getting none for blatantly lying about the number of DNA tests conducted. If the Doc has made up stuff on the bank accounts he needs to face the music but if his allegations have a grain of truth then the Punjab Police and the Nooras have alot more to answer for.

we know who owns the state bank and its data ? The Ishaq Dar & Co.
the entire nooni govt is corrupt as hell. they didnt left any institution neat and clean.
thats why SC made new JIT. they didnt believe on institution under the current govt.

we know who owns the state bank and its data ? The Ishaq Dar & Co.
the entire nooni govt is corrupt as hell. they didnt left any institution neat and clean.
thats why SC made new JIT. they didnt believe on institution under the current govt.

IA we get to the truth. Not only do the evil baastards that have done this need to be punished , we could save the lives of children in the future. But Nooras are evil, they will put money above any human, child abuse and murder are normal.You show me a decent Noora and i will eat my hat.

Six-year-old Zainab Amin's suspected rapist and murderer has been formally nominated in the rape and murder cases of seven other children in Kasur, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) was told on Tuesday.

An earlier DNA test of the suspect revealed his DNA was a match with samples recovered from the crime scenes in the seven cases prior to Zainab's.

The investigation officer (IO) probing the cases told the ATC judge today that the suspect had kidnapped, raped and killed a total of eight girls.

The IO sought a five-day remand of the suspect, saying that the police wished to further probe him in connection to the cases. The court remanded him to police custody for three days.

Earlier on January 24, the ATC had granted investigators a 14-day physical remand of the suspect in connection with the Zainab murder case.

Zainab's rape and murder had sparked outrage in Kasur and across the country. The six-year-old went missing on Jan 4 and her body was recovered from a trash heap on Jan 9.

Her case is the 12th such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre radius in the city over the past year.

Police had confirmed on Jan 13 that the results of DNA testing of samples collected from the crime scenes pointed towards the involvement of one culprit in at least seven similar cases in the district.

On Jan 23, the Punjab government declared the arrest of the prime suspect.

Six-year-old Zainab Amin's suspected rapist and murderer has been formally nominated in the rape and murder cases of seven other children in Kasur, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) was told on Tuesday.

An earlier DNA test of the suspect revealed his DNA was a match with samples recovered from the crime scenes in the seven cases prior to Zainab's.

The investigation officer (IO) probing the cases told the ATC judge today that the suspect had kidnapped, raped and killed a total of eight girls.

The IO sought a five-day remand of the suspect, saying that the police wished to further probe him in connection to the cases. The court remanded him to police custody for three days.

Earlier on January 24, the ATC had granted investigators a 14-day physical remand of the suspect in connection with the Zainab murder case.

Zainab's rape and murder had sparked outrage in Kasur and across the country. The six-year-old went missing on Jan 4 and her body was recovered from a trash heap on Jan 9.

Her case is the 12th such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre radius in the city over the past year.

Police had confirmed on Jan 13 that the results of DNA testing of samples collected from the crime scenes pointed towards the involvement of one culprit in at least seven similar cases in the district.

On Jan 23, the Punjab government declared the arrest of the prime suspect.

Zainab murder trial begins tomorrow

The trial of the suspected rapist and murderer of Kasur's six-year-old Zainab Amin will begin on Feb 10 in an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore.

The ATC today granted police 14-day judicial remand of the suspect after a detailed challan against him was submitted in court by the prosecution. Police had kept the suspect in physical remand for about 16 days today.

The suspect had first been remanded to police custody for 14 days following his arrest last month. The court had subsequently granted the police an additional three-day remand after he was nominated in seven other similar cases.

The deputy prosecutor general told the court that during the investigation, the suspect had confessed to his involvement in the rape and murder of seven children in Kasur, apart from Zainab.

He asked the court to remand the suspect to judicial custody as the police have completed their investigation.

ATC judge Sajjad Ahmed subsequently remanded the suspect to judicial custody and, on the deputy prosecutor general's advice, announced that the trial of the case would be held in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail. The prosecutor has also requested the court to hold the trial inside the jail for security reasons.

The ATC also said that that the verdict will be based on witness statements. The judge further said that hearings of the trial will be conducted on a daily basis and the case will be completed within seven days.

A three-member prosecution team comprising prosecutors Abdul Rauf Wattoo, Waqar Bhatti and Hafiz Asghar was formed by the Punjab prosecutor general.

Speaking to the media after the hearing, the defence lawyer claimed that there was no "solid proof" against the suspect and maintained that DNA evidence is not admissible in court. He declared that the suspect was innocent and would be acquitted by the court.

Zainab's rape and murder last month had sparked outrage across the country after the six-year-old, who went missing on Jan 4, was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on Jan 9.

Her case is the 12th such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre radius in the city over the past year.

Police had confirmed on Jan 13 that the results of DNA testing of samples collected from the crime scenes pointed towards the involvement of one culprit in at least seven similar cases in the district.

The Punjab government had declared the arrest of the prime suspect on January 23.

The trial of the suspected rapist and murderer of Kasur's six-year-old Zainab Amin will begin on Feb 10 in an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore.

The ATC today granted police 14-day judicial remand of the suspect after a detailed challan against him was submitted in court by the prosecution. Police had kept the suspect in physical remand for about 16 days today.

The suspect had first been remanded to police custody for 14 days following his arrest last month. The court had subsequently granted the police an additional three-day remand after he was nominated in seven other similar cases.

The deputy prosecutor general told the court that during the investigation, the suspect had confessed to his involvement in the rape and murder of seven children in Kasur, apart from Zainab.

He asked the court to remand the suspect to judicial custody as the police have completed their investigation.

ATC judge Sajjad Ahmed subsequently remanded the suspect to judicial custody and, on the deputy prosecutor general's advice, announced that the trial of the case would be held in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail. The prosecutor has also requested the court to hold the trial inside the jail for security reasons.

The ATC also said that that the verdict will be based on witness statements. The judge further said that hearings of the trial will be conducted on a daily basis and the case will be completed within seven days.

A three-member prosecution team comprising prosecutors Abdul Rauf Wattoo, Waqar Bhatti and Hafiz Asghar was formed by the Punjab prosecutor general.

Speaking to the media after the hearing, the defence lawyer claimed that there was no "solid proof" against the suspect and maintained that DNA evidence is not admissible in court. He declared that the suspect was innocent and would be acquitted by the court.

Zainab's rape and murder last month had sparked outrage across the country after the six-year-old, who went missing on Jan 4, was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on Jan 9.

Her case is the 12th such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre radius in the city over the past year.

Police had confirmed on Jan 13 that the results of DNA testing of samples collected from the crime scenes pointed towards the involvement of one culprit in at least seven similar cases in the district.

The Punjab government had declared the arrest of the prime suspect on January 23.

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Monday charged a man with raping and murdering six-year-old Zainab Amin in a case that enraged the country and sparked riots in his home district of Kasur last month.

The hearing was held in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail for security reasons. Witnesses will be called on Tuesday.

Zainab's rape and murder last month had sparked outrage across the country after the six-year-old, who went missing on January 4, was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on Jan 9. Her case is the 12th such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre radius in the city over the past year.

Police had confirmed on Jan 13 that the results of DNA testing of samples collected from the crime scenes pointed towards the involvement of one culprit in at least seven similar cases in the district. The Punjab government had declared the arrest of Imran, the prime suspect, on January 23.

The killing sparked calls for the public execution of Imran after officials said his DNA had been recovered from the scene of the crime and matched samples from similar cases.

According to the victim's father Amin Ansari, Imran — who lived nearby — had taken part in the initial protests that erupted after Zainab's body was discovered.

Last Friday, the ATC had granted police 14-day judicial remand of the suspect after a detailed challan against him was submitted in court by the prosecution. Police had kept the suspect in physical remand for about 16 days. The suspect had first been remanded to police custody for 14 days following his arrest last month. The court had subsequently granted the police an additional three-day remand after he was nominated in seven other similar cases.

The deputy prosecutor general had told the court that during the investigation, Imran had confessed to his involvement in the rape and murder of seven children in Kasur, apart from Zainab.

The ATC had decided that hearings of the trial will be conducted on a daily basis and the case will be completed within seven days.

Security has been increased in and around the central jail and the movement of everyone going in and out of the jail is being monitored.

Zainab's rape and murder last month had sparked outrage and protests across the country after the six-year-old, who went missing on January 4, was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on Jan 9.

Her case was the twelfth such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre radius in the city over a 12-month period.

The heinous nature of the crime had seen immediate riots break out in Kasur — in which two people were killed — while #JusticeforZainab became a rallying cry for an end to violence against children.

The Punjab government had declared the arrest of prime suspect Imran Ali on January 23.

The trial
The trial in the case was concluded on Thursday when ATC-I Judge Sajjad Ahmad reserved the verdict after cross examination of all the prosecution witnesses completed by state counsel Muhammad Sultan who was appointed by the trial court to represent the suspect, Imran Ali.

The accused had initially denied guilt when charges were framed against him, and had opted to contest the trial. However, he made a confession soon after and was indicted on Feb 12. On Feb 14, the ATC recorded his complete statement.

Advocate Mehar Shakeel Multani, private counsel for the suspect, had withdrawn his power of attorney after the suspect made confession before the trial court. The lawyer claimed his conscience did not allow him to defend a killer.

Later, the court provided the suspect with state counsel to complete the trial proceedings.

The prosecution had presented at least 56 witnesses against the suspect in addition to forensic evidence, including the DNA and polygraph tests.

The trial court had concluded the proceedings within four days. The Lahore High Court had given seven days for completion of the trial.

The Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 also requires trial court to proceed with the trial on day-to-day basis and decide the case within seven working days.

A special prosecution team headed by Abdul Rauf Wattoo prosecuted the suspect during the trial. Prosecutor General of Punjab Eihtesham Qadir Shah also monitored the trial proceedings on the instructions of the Supreme Court that had taken a suo motu notice of the Zainab case.

Talking to Dawn, the prosecutor general (PG) had said all the requisites of justice and fairness had been strictly observed during the trial proceedings.

He had said the private counsel for the suspect had cross- examined at least 22 prosecution witnesses before he withdrew his power of attorney.

Later, the state counsel appointed by the court completed the cross-examination of the remaining witnesses, he had added.

Explaining the reasons behind conducting the trial inside the jail, the PG had said it was done for the suspect’s protection and that the law also permitted such precautions for such cases.

Senior lawyer Azam Nazir Tarar, having expertise in criminal law, had commented there had been reservations about the jail-trial and in-camera proceedings.

However, he had said, shortcomings in the trial, if any, could be removed in appeal before the high court. The appeal was considered as continuation of the trial, he added.

An anti-terrorism court, finding Imran Ali — the man accused of raping and murdering six-year-old Zainab Amin in Kasur last month — guilty of the charges brought against him, on Saturday handed him four counts of the death penalty, one life term, a 7-year jail term and at least Rs2 million in fines.

The verdict was announced at Lahore's Central Jail in Kot Lakhpat on Saturday.

The four death penalties were for kidnapping, raping and murdering Zainab, and for committing an act of terrorism under Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act. The life sentence, along with a Rs1 million fine, was handed to Ali for sodomy. Another 7-year jail sentence and Rs1 million fine were imposed for concealing the body in a trash heap.

Dawn.com is verifying the information we have received and will be updating the story accordingly.

Prosecutor General Ehtesham Qadir, who spoke to media after the sentencing, said the accused had been given ample chance to defend himself, but he chose to confess his crimes despite being told clearly that any information he divulged would be used against him.

"When he was read the charges, we asked the court to let Imran Ali deliberate the matter for 40 minutes," the prosecutor said. "The convict was then told that anything he says will be used against him in court, after which he confessed. After this, we also proved the voluntariness of the convict in court and then proceeded to trial."

Nonetheless, the prosecution chose to submit all its evidence to court so that the case remained airtight. The prosecutor also said this was "the first case to examine scientific evidence" in a case of this nature.

The convict now has 15 days to challenge the verdict and file an appeal.

Zainab's father, Haji Muhammad Amin, had arrived in Kot Lakhpat to witness the verdict early on Saturday morning.

Security had been increased in and around the central jail and the movement of everyone going in and out of the jail is being monitored.

Zainab's rape and murder last month had sparked outrage and protests across the country after the six-year-old, who went missing on January 4, was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on Jan 9.

Her case was the twelfth such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre radius in the city over a 12-month period.

The heinous nature of the crime had seen immediate riots break out in Kasur — in which two people were killed — while #JusticeforZainab became a rallying cry for an end to violence against children.

The Punjab government had declared the arrest of prime suspect Imran Ali on January 23.

The trial
The trial in the case was concluded on Thursday when ATC-I Judge Sajjad Ahmad reserved the verdict after cross examination of all the prosecution witnesses completed by state counsel Muhammad Sultan who was appointed by the trial court to represent the suspect, Imran Ali.

The accused had initially denied guilt when charges were framed against him, and had opted to contest the trial. However, he made a confession soon after and was indicted on Feb 12. On Feb 14, the ATC recorded his complete statement.

Advocate Mehar Shakeel Multani, private counsel for the suspect, had withdrawn his power of attorney after the suspect made confession before the trial court. The lawyer claimed his conscience did not allow him to defend a killer.

Later, the court provided the suspect with state counsel to complete the trial proceedings.

The prosecution had presented at least 56 witnesses against the suspect in addition to forensic evidence, including the DNA and polygraph tests.

The trial court had concluded the proceedings within four days. The Lahore High Court had given seven days for completion of the trial.

The Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 also requires trial court to proceed with the trial on day-to-day basis and decide the case within seven working days.

A special prosecution team headed by Abdul Rauf Wattoo prosecuted the suspect during the trial. Prosecutor General of Punjab Eihtesham Qadir Shah also monitored the trial proceedings on the instructions of the Supreme Court that had taken a suo motu notice of the Zainab case.

Talking to Dawn, the prosecutor general (PG) had said all the requisites of justice and fairness had been strictly observed during the trial proceedings.

He had said the private counsel for the suspect had cross- examined at least 22 prosecution witnesses before he withdrew his power of attorney.

Later, the state counsel appointed by the court completed the cross-examination of the remaining witnesses, he had added.

Explaining the reasons behind conducting the trial inside the jail, the PG had said it was done for the suspect’s protection and that the law also permitted such precautions for such cases.

Senior lawyer Azam Nazir Tarar, having expertise in criminal law, had commented there had been reservations about the jail-trial and in-camera proceedings.

However, he had said, shortcomings in the trial, if any, could be removed in appeal before the high court. The appeal was considered as continuation of the trial, he added.

Provincial officials and religious leaders on Wednesday rejected the call for public execution of Imran Ali, the convicted rapist and murderer of six-year-old Kasur girl, Zainab Amin.

Members of the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice in a meeting today debated whether existing Pakistani law permits public executions.

The meeting chaired by Senator Javed Abbasi was attended by Law Minister Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk, the law secretary, provincial home secretaries, representatives of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), and the inspectors general of the Punjab and Balochistan Prisons Departments.

Senator Abbasi questioned if the Parliament would need to introduce an amendment to the Pakistan Penal Code or whether the addition of a rule would suffice.

Senator Rehman Malik reminded the committee that the Supreme Court (SC) had forbidden carrying out public hangings. "We cannot violate the Supreme Court's order by hanging [the convict] in public," he said.

The Law Ministry told the standing committee that any moves that are not sanctioned by the Constitution must be avoided.

Law Minister Virk pointed out that a public hanging would be considered a violation of human rights.

"Emotions aside, steps that are in conflict with the Constitution should be avoided," he asserted.

Provincial home secretaries were of the view that the law should remain as is and a public hanging should not be carried out. They were concerned that doing so would cause the law and order situation to spiral out of control.

The CII also opposed the suggestion to carry out the death sentence in public and said that the execution must be carried out inside a jail. The body suggested it was possible to broadcast the sentence on electronic media.

Senators from all provinces, however, opposed the CII's suggestion that the execution be broadcast.

The inspector general of prisons Balochistan said that amending the law for the sake of one case would be counter-productive for society. "We cannot punish the entire society by hanging a person in public," he insisted.

The standing committee ordered the Law Ministry to submit a report clarifying whether a public execution would violate the Constitution and the Supreme Court order, and whether an amendment to the existing law would be required in order to carry out public hangings.

"​It has straightaway been noticed by us that when the charge was framed by the trial court against the petitioner, he had pleaded guilty as charged and on that occasion, he had got recorded a detailed confessional statement wherein he had admitted almost every aspect of this case alleged against him," read the judgment in the case.

"There were many pieces of evidence brought on the record by the prosecution which proved every word of the confession to be correct and in that regard we may refer to the CCTV footages, photographs, DNA tests and the medical evidence which had confirmed every aspect of the confession made by the petitioner."

Speaking about the sentences passed by the trial court against Imran Ali, the bench observed that "the crimes committed by the petitioner were absolutely horrendous and barbaric".

"The petitioner had not only deceitfully kidnapped her but had also brutalised her by committing sodomy and rape with her and had then ultimately killed her mercilessly."

The verdict noted that the petitioner had admitted committing similar offences with eight other minor victims and "in that backdrop, he did not deserve any sympathy in the matter of his sentences"

The petition was dismissed and leave to appeal was refused.

The ATC gave him four counts of the death penalty, one life term, a 7-year jail term and Rs4.1 million in fines.

The four death penalties were for kidnapping, raping and murdering Zainab, and for committing an act of terrorism punishable under Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA).

One life sentence, along with a Rs1 million fine, was handed to Imran for committing an "unnatural act". Two death sentences, accompanied by Rs1 million fine each, were imposed on him under the ATA and the Pakistan Penal Code. A 7-year jail sentence and Rs100,000 fine was further awarded for concealing the body in a trash heap.

Additionally, Rs1 million from the penalties imposed will be paid to the victim's heirs, the judge had ruled.

Imran faces further charges in the cases of at least seven other children he attacked — five of whom were murdered — in a spate of assaults that had stoked fears a serial child killer was on the loose.

He has confessed to all eight attacks, including the death of Zainab, AFP reported earlier.

Imran had appealed to the Lahore High Court against the sentence but his appeal was dismissed.

Zainab's rape and murder had sparked outrage and protests across the country after the six-year-old, who went missing on January 4, was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on Jan 9.

Her case was the 12th such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre radius in the city over a 12-month period.

The heinous nature of the crime had seen immediate riots break out in Kasur — in which two people were killed — while #JusticeforZainab became a rallying cry for an end to violence against children.

The Punjab government had declared the arrest of prime suspect Imran Ali on January 23.

Zainab murder convict handed death penalty for rape, murder of 3 other girls

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday handed Imran Ali — who is currently incarcerated and on death-row for the rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab Amin — the death penalty on 12 more counts for the rape and murder of three other girls.

Ali, a resident of Kasur, was involved in at least nine incidents of rape-cum-murder of minors, including Zainab, which he had confessed to during her murder investigation.

The verdicts for the cases of all three minor girls were announced today by special administrative judge Sheikh Sajjad Ahmed of the ATC after listening to the final arguments presented by the counsels.

In all three cases, Ali was found guilty under sections 364-A (kidnapping or abducting a person under the age of fourteen), 376 (3) (rape of minor), 302-B (punishment for qatl-i-amd) of the Pakistan Penal Code and section 7(a) (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-terrorism Act, 1997.

According to the judgements, Ali has been sentenced to death on a total of 12 counts (4 counts for each victim), fined Rs6 million (Rs2m per victim) and ordered to pay Rs3m (Rs1m per victim) as compensation to the victims' families. In case of failure to pay the fine or compensation, he will have to undergo another six months imprisonment.

The first information reports of all three cases were registered in different months of 2017. The ages of the three victims were five, seven and eight.

Zainab's rape and murder earlier this year had sparked outrage and protests across the country after the six-year-old, who went missing on January 4, was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on January 9.

Her case was the twelfth such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre radius in the city over a 12-month period.

The heinous nature of the crime had seen immediate riots break out in Kasur — in which two people were killed — while #JusticeforZainab became a rallying cry for an end to violence against children.

The Punjab government had declared the arrest of Ali, the prime suspect, on January 23.

On June 12, the Supreme Court rejected Ali's appeal against the death sentence handed to him for the rape and murder of Zainab, noting that the petitioner had admitted committing similar offences with eight other minor victims and "in that backdrop, he did not deserve any sympathy in the matter of his sentences".

Imran had filed the appeal challenging the death sentence handed to him in February, claiming his trial was not fair. He still has the right to seek clemency from President Mamnoon Hussain.

It was Punjab Government, Under leadership of Shahbaz & Nawaz Sharif who solved this tradegy.

Punjab Forensic lab is only lab in Pakistan capable of doing this. It was set by Shahbaz Sharif and was pivotal in solving Zainab Rape n murder case.

Rana Sanaullah Khan was 100 % Right. Similar case like this happened in KPK (Asma Rape Case) where there was exemplary police of IK at the same time and media was only interested in glorifying Punjab government and Punjab Police.

And ISI Political wing (Establishment) never fails to amuse indeed.

Who informed Zainabís father about the faith of Additional IG Punjab Police appointed by Shahbaz Sharif to head Police team in Zainabís Case Inquiry ?

Angels brought revelation to Zainabís father telling him Sect/Religion of Police Officer ?

Amin Ansari, father of six-year-old Zainab who was raped and murdered earlier this year, filed yet another appeal in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday requesting the public hanging of his daughter's killer.

Ansari has argued that convict Imran Ali, whose death sentence will be executed on Oct 17, can be hanged publicly under the Section 22 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, which allows the government to "specify the manner, mode and place of execution of any sentence passed under this Act having regard to the deterrent effect which such execution is likely to have".

"The purpose and objective behind the incorporation section (sic) is very much clear," the appeal says. "... The murderer of Zainab should be given exemplary punishment so as to avoid any such tragedy in future, God forbid," her father has argued.

It added: "The statutory violation of Section 22 of ATA 1997 cannot be allowed ... under the Constitution of Pakistan [and] hence calls for the interference of this honourable court."

Ansari pointed out that the state had already issued Ali's death warrants and all appeals for the courts to review the sentence awarded to him have also been rejected.

Ansari has filed similar appeals before; however, they were turned down by the court.

Imran Ali's execution
Ali, a resident of Kasur, was accused of being involved in at least nine incidents of rape and murder of minors, including Zainab's, which he had confessed to during her murder investigation. Out of the seven rape and murder cases registered against Imran, the court has given its verdict in five.

In total, Imran Ali has been sentenced to 21 counts of death, three life sentences and a cumulative 23 years in jail.

He has also been set a Rs2.5 million fine by the court, which is other than the Rs255,000 that he has been sentenced to pay as diyat. Only two cases against Ali remain pending.

Justice for Zainab
Zainab's rape and murder earlier this year had sparked outrage and protests across the country after the six-year-old, who went missing on January 4, was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on January 9.

Her case was the twelfth such incident to occur within a 10 kilometre radius in the city over a 12-month period.

The heinous nature of the crime had seen immediate riots break out in Kasur ó in which two people were killed ó while #JusticeforZainab became a rallying cry for an end to violence against children.

The Punjab government had declared the arrest of Ali, the prime suspect, on January 23.

On June 12, the Supreme Court rejected Ali's appeal against the death sentence handed to him for the rape and murder of Zainab, noting that the petitioner had admitted committing similar offences with eight other minor victims and "in that backdrop, he did not deserve any sympathy in the matter of his sentences".

Imran had filed the appeal challenging the death sentence handed to him in February, claiming his trial was not fair.

Imran Ali executed in Lahore

Convict Imran Ali Ė sentenced to death for the rape and murder of Zainab and twelve other minors girls Ė was hanged early Wednesday morning at Lahoreís Kot Lakhpat jail.

The black warrant for Imranís execution was carried out at 5:30am in accordance with the prevailing law on capital punishment. According to Express News, Imranís body will later be handed over to his family.

Imran was convicted in February after being identified through DNA tests and was sentenced to death on one count, 25 years of imprisonment on two counts.

In other cases, Imran was awarded death sentence on four counts and life imprisonment on one count. The sentence was awarded by Judge Ahmad.

The court issued the order after swiftly concluding Imranís trial at Lahoreís Kot Lakhpat Jail, in accordance with an order of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Zainab Amin was abducted on January 4 from near her auntís house in Kasur. Her body was recovered from a heap of garbage near her house five days later, sparking widespread protests in which two people died from police firing.

The police later collected DNA samples of 1,187 people from January 12 to January 23 to trace the accused. On January 23, the police arrested Imran, a neighbour of Zainab, as his DNA matched not only with the DNA samples collected from the body of Zainab but also at least seven other victims.

On February 10, the court handed over copies of the challan to the accused counsel in a hearing which was held in Kot Lakhpat jail and February 12 was fixed for framing of charges.

On February 12, the judge asked the accused whether he accepts the charges levelled against him in the challan. The accused refused to accept the charges after which the court indicted him in the case and started regular trial proceedings.

However, on the next day, Imran confessed to raping and killing Ayesha Asif, 7 [died on January 7, 2017], Eman Fatima, 7, [died on February 24, 2017], Noor Fatima,7 [died on April 11 2017], Laiba Saleem, 7 [died on July 8, 2017], Zainab Amin, 7, [died on January 4, 2018] and others.

KASUR: The father of Zainab Ansari, a victim of Kasurís grisly rape-murder incident, has demanded that the government dedicate a day (Jan 10) to her memory one year on.

Amin Ansari had earlier demanded that he should be allowed to meet the perpetrator but officials allegedly failed to fulfill the promise. He could only have a glimpse of the killer when he was brought to the gallows. Zainabís family and other residents of Kasur had also sought public hanging of convict Imran Ali.

Mr Ansari told Dawn that he had arranged a gathering on Jan 10 in remembrance of Zainab and would like the government to observe it as ĎZainab Dayí so that it could highlight the urgency to ensure safety and rights of children. He said child abuse incidents were on the rise and itís time the state showed its resolve to track down the perpetrators.

Six-year-old Zainab went missing on Jan 4, 2018 and her body was found on a heap of trash at Roadkot, a place at a stoneís throw from her house, five days after her abduction.

ĎJustice For Zainabí started trending on the social media and the incident also drew attention of the national and international media, forcing the authorities to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to trace the killer of little Zainab.

The ensuing riots resulted in casualties including killing of two protesters by police officials deputed at the deputy commissionerís office. The protesters had earlier set the offices of local PML-N parliamentarians and scores of vehicles ablaze.

Law enforcers collected the DNA profiles of more than 1,150 suspects and finally it was the DNA No 184 that solved the mystery on Jan 20. Police took into custody Imran Ali who worked as a mason in Kasur and had earlier evaded arrest by feigning heart problem.

Ali, as suggested by the DNA profiling, turned out to be the rapist and killer of Zainab and seven other minor girls. He was executed on Oct 17 last.